Metalcore band Life Right Now just unleashed their debut album, Avant Garde, this past Friday with a premiere at Outburn.com. Life Right Now features members from the outfits Attila, It Lies Within, Nevada Rose, and Deception Of A Ghost.
Life Right Now are currently on the Rage Fest Tour through the end of August, sharing the stage with Crown The Empire, Attila, Veil Of Maya, Gideon, and Hawk.
Bassist and clean vocalist Justin DiMarco kindly took some time out of his action-packed schedule to answer our Protest Interview series questions. Find out more about what’s on DiMarco’s mind, as well as details about the band’s spirited, yet still heavy new album.
Hello! Please introduce yourself/yourselves and give a brief, or detailed, description of your sound/musical vision.
My name is Justin DiMarco and I play bass and sing clean vocals for the band Life Right Now. The other band members are Zachary Scott (harsh vocals), Kyle Dameron (guitars), and Bryan Mcclure (drums).
We all come from different projects with somewhat similar sounds and I think once the writing process started, our backgrounds came alive quickly. Being eclectic because of our broad range of influences shaped the sound, but at the same time steered us to find what we knew would be memorable each time someone listened. On top of catchy hooks and hard-hitting guitars, we wanted the EDM aspect to come and go often, and I think we did that well. I think fans of all genres can find something they enjoy when listening to us.
What is/are the main personal, national, and/or international issue(s) concerning you the most these days?
On tour, things are very much out of your control most of the time. It’s a very uneasy feeling for me personally, but it’s something you learn to cope with. The amount of violence that occurs in this country angers and saddens me at the same time. Traveling the world, meeting new and interesting people, and playing shows every night is a beautiful thing. It bothers me that in the back of my mind, I worry about a random, terrible event that could possibly occur anywhere. Gun violence is a very real issue in this country.
What song, video, or lyrics quote of yours best represents your current viewpoint on this/these important topic(s)?
We don’t specifically get into this topic lyrically on our album, but on our track “Something More” I think some people can relate to what I explained.
“More, I just need something more.
I need to see the light again
This is for myself
I’m the only one
And there’s nothing left.”
What’s your favorite song, video, or lyrics quote by another act or artist that best exemplifies, or at least partly relates to, your current viewpoint?
The song “Game Of War” by Of Mice And Men partly relates to my viewpoint. From what I understand, the band wrote the song days after the 2015 San Bernardino terrorist attack.
What forms of protest, besides through your music, are you involved with to get your message across?
I’ve personally never protested against a specific topic or agenda, however I believe very much in donations. I do what I can if I believe in the cause. Definitely a different angle to approach then “protesting”, but people coming together for a greater good can have the same outcome if done correctly.
It’s easy to judge and criticize others, especially in these unsettling times of overt intolerance, ignorance, and insults, but the fact remains that we need to work together “for the good of the people”, as a family friend so succinctly put it. Objecting to and protesting against, but then working on a solution to the problem is critical in ensuring that positive change occurs. Name an action to take, or a campaign/charity that would be worthwhile to contribute to, for your cause.
CSVG.org (https://www.csgv.org/) is a very well run website with results they prove. Just a note - Everyone deserves the right to own a gun. Policies need to be put into place to make it harder for certain people to have the ability to obtain a rifle or handgun that may potentially cause harm to others.
What gives you hope for the future?
At the end of the day, I truly believe human beings aren’t inherently evil. People want violence to stop and eventually (hopefully sooner than later) the appropriate actions will take place that will start to suppress the violence caused by this issue.
Where can we purchase/stream your music and find out more about you?
Our debut album Avant Garde is available everywhere August 16th on every streaming platform. Social media is the best way to reach out to us personally.
